Spacing mechanism for slide fastener machines



March 4, 1952 E. E. TEUBNER SPACING MECHANISM FOR SLIDE FASTENERMACHINES Filed Sept. 5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

March 4, 1952 E, TEUBNER 2,588,177

SPACING MECHANISM FOR SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES Filed Sept. 5, 1947 5Sheets-Sheet 2 March 4, 1952 E. E. TEUBNER SPACING MECHANISM FOR SLIDEFASTENER MACHINES Filed Sept. 5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 SPACING MECHANISM FOR SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES.

Edmund E. Teubner, Upper Darby, Pa... assignor to Jacquard KnittingMachine 00., Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New YorkApplication September 5, 1947, Serial No. 772,317

7 Claims. (01. 74112) My invention relates generally to machines forattaching slide fastener elements to strips of tape, and moreparticularly to the mechanism for feeding the strips of tape.

It provides improved means for spacing groups of the elements from eachother, and for measuring the lengths of groups and the lengths of theintergroup spacings. I

Speaking generally, my invention operates on the over-running principle.That is to say, a driving mechanism operates through an overrunningmechanism to advance the tape at such a speed, as it were, as to spacethe fasteners properly for the reception of and locking with fastenersof another tape, i. e. within groups, while another driving mechanismadvances the tape at a greater speed each time sufficient fasteners havebeen assembled to constitute a group of a desired length, and therebyseparates, or assists in separating, the fasteners into spaced groups.The over-running driving mechanism permits the second driving mechanismto advance the tape without interference from the first. According to myinvention however a spring is provided between the second driving deviceand the tape as it were, which yields briefly each time the seconddriving mechanism comes into action. Accordingly each higherspeedadvancement of the tape to bring about spacing between groups, is begunmore or less gradually, or without abruptshock as it'were,

and as a result the machine as whole can be operated at a higher speedthan otherwise,'.i. e. can be made to apply more fasteners to .a tapeper minute than is possible otherwise. Further, I prefer to use a beltto measure the length of each group of fasteners; for example, a chainwith a member or members in the form of a specially formed link or linksor otherwise to bring the second driving mechanism. into action. Such ameasurer canibe. changed readilyto change the lengths of the groups.Still further, I prefer to transmitithe driving elfortof the. seconddriving mechanism to the tape through a belt, and in such a case arrangefor, the application of the power of the second driving mechanism to thevbelt at a quite. definite, point or points in the travel of the belt,and the release of the belt from this driving mechanism at a quitedefinite point or points in the belt travel. This tends to accuratemeasuring of the group lengths and the lengths of the spaces betweengroups. By making one or both these points adjustable along-the beltpath, thelengths of the s aces between. rq ps. c n; be chang r d fromtime to time as desired. The belt for measuring the lengths of thegroups may be used as the power-transmitting belt.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the foregoing and show thepreferred form of my the spring arrangement between the tape spacerroller and its driving mechanism; Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line66 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 6 but showing thespace roller about to advance the tape; Fig. 8 is a detail of the tapedrum and clamp.

I, driven through pulley 2, carries a cam 3 to Referring particularly toFig. 1, a main shaft j advance a slidable frame 4 which slides on thebed plate Ia of the machine and carries plate 5; this plate 5 is thecarrier for the shear or cutting blade (not shown) which slices thefastener Y elements one by one from the end of the raw stock; this rawstock is a bar V-shaped in cross section like the fastener elementsbefore the elements are clasped on to the tape. The shaft I also carriesa cam 6 acting on aroller 1 to return the frame, and also a slotted disc'8 for a crank pin to drive the mechanism (not shown) which effectsintermittent feeding of the raw stock or fastener element materialupwardly from below.

A side shaft 9, driven by and in synchronism with the main shaft Ithrough gears, carries a cam II) for actuating an upper die (not shown),which is countersunk to form the required stud on the upper face of eachfastener element, and

on slide frame 4, which serves to carry one of .also carries a cam H toslide inwardly a tool carrier I2, also on the bed plate Ia and mountedthe tools (not shown) that grasp the fastener elements in succession andcarry them to and .close them on the tape. A second side shaft l4, alsodriven by and in synchronism with the main shaft I through gears,carries acam l5 for actuating a lower punch (not shown), which 3 formsthe required depression in the lower face of each fastener element andcooperates with the upper die to form the stud on each element; theshaft I4 also carries a cam [6 to slide inwardly a tool carrier l1,sliding on the bed plate and also mounted on slide frame 4, whichcarries the cooperating tool (not shown) for trans porting each fastenerelement to and closing it on the tape. Springs may be used to withdrawthe tool carriers l2 and I1 outwardly and keep their rolls in engagementwith their cams I and H5 at all times. The right hand shaft |4 alsocarries and drives synchronously with it both a tape feeding cam l9 anda spacer roller 20; the feeding cam l9, through a pawl, rotates ratchetwheel 2| to rotate shaft 22 (supported on bracket 23) and thereby thetape drum 24 which is mounted on the other end of the shaft 22, toadvance the tape step by step between the applications of successivefasteners of a group; the roller 20, through a chain, rotates shaft 22to advance the tape extra long steps on occasions to divide the assemblyof fasteners into spaced groups.

Briefly, in operation, a bar of the stock or raw material from which thefastener elements are formed, is fed upwardly intermittently throughanopening 25 in a lower plate 26, which is set in the bed plate la; theopening 25 has the-same shape as the cross section of the bar stock. Thecooperating shear or cutter which is mounted on the carrier plate 5- andthe cutting edge of which conforms to the shape of one side of the wire,cuts off a fastener element blank as it is thrust forwardly by cam 3,and pushes this blank horizontally on the bed plate of the machine to anaperture 21 in plate 26 through which the lower punch rises to'form thedepression needed in one face of the element blank, and in doing socooperates with the upper die to form the stud or boss on the upper faceof the blank. The shear 5 is then withdrawn, the slide l2 and H withtheir tools are moved inward to gripthe formed element, the die andpunch are withdrawn (the die raised and the punch lowered), and, as theslide frame 4 moves forward again to cut another element from the end ofthe bar stock (which is pushed upward another step at the proper time)and push this newly-cut element to the punch opening 21, the toolcarriers l2 and I1 carry the previously-cut element to a positionastride the tape which has been fed upwardly-a step through an aperturebelow 28 in Fig. 1. While the tape is at rest momentarily, the slides l2and H are 1 thrust farther inward to squeeze the spaced legs ofthe-fastener element on to (around one edge of) the tape. After this thetwo tools withdraw outwardly, the tape advances another step and theslide frame 4, with its attachments, again returns to the back. Speakinggenerally, the mechanisms so far mentioned and those described below aremounted on thebed plate la of the machine and on the brackets on the bedplate.

The machine as sofar described is a known one and various of its partsmentioned above have been omitted from the drawing for clarity.Primarily it is only representative of the type of machine to which thepresent invention is applicable. Accordingly the illustration containedin the drawings and the description above will suffice for the presentpurpose.

The mechanism which advances the tape between the afiix-ing of each twoadjacent fastener elements of each group may also be of a known form, asshown in Fig. 2 to Fig.8 inclusive and including in it an over-runningmechanism. Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the tape feeding cam l9acts on a follower roller 29 of a slide 30 to which a pawl 3| is hingedby pin 32. The feed slide 30 is carried in a fixed guide 33. A spring 34on the slide maintains the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel 2|.The cam- -the slide and pawl downwardly as the cam l9 permits thisaction. Asbefore indicated, the ratchet wheel turns the shaft 22, andthe latter turns the tape drum 24. The eccentricity of the cam I9 issuch that on each upward thrust it causes the. tape to advance thedistance desired between each two adjacent fasteners (center to center)of a group. In Fig. Z'the parts are shown with the slide and-pawl 3| atabout their uppermost positions, i. e. at or near the end of atapeadvancing operation. As shown in Fig. 2, also, the tape may be.advanced throughout about three-eighths of a revolution of the cam, andthe return part of the cam may be about threeeighths of itscircumference also. As before indicated, each such intermittent rotationof the tape drum is timed to occur between the withdrawal of the toolson jaws l2 and H from one fastening element and the closing of the nextelement on the tape. The circumference of the tape drum 24- may beroughened so that it will pull. the tape along without fail, and mayhave the tape held to it by a clamp 42 and drum and clamp may haveapertures 42a to permit passage of the fastening elements as shown inFigs. 3 and 8.

Referring now to the mechanism for spacing the tape between groups ofelements with which my invention is particularly concerned? The spacerroller 2|], which has a flange at each side of it and a shoulder 43 inthe circumference of each of its flanges, is moimted on, but is free torotate on, the shaft I4. To rotate it, a block 44 is afilxed to shaftI4, and a cooperating (arcuate) block 45 is aflixed to the roller 20 inthe same plane as block 44. As shown, the block 44 may be afiixed to theadjacent. face of cam l9, and block 45 to the face of '20. The length ofblock 44 is less than the distance between the two ends of 45 (Fig. 5),,so thata space 46 is provided, as it were. This permits some movement ofthe block 44 between the two ends of block 45. A spring 41 connected tothe two blocks serves to draw the two blocks 44 and 45 togethernormally, in the direction of rotation 48 of the shaft |4 (Fig.5).Normally therefore the cam l9 and its block 44 drags block. 45., actingthrough the spring, 41, and thereby causes the roller 20 to rotateaszthe. shaft l4. rotates, the parts remaining. in the relativevpositions shown in Fig. 5..

At one side. of. roller. Zitasprocket idler wheel 49 is mounted in. anarcuate. slot 5| in a plate 58 which isfixed to the bed-plate |a of. themachine. The center of the arc of 5| is the axis of shaft |4, and'49can. be. fixed .at. any place in the slot 5|, e. g. by grip. nuts on itsshaft. This: permits the. sprocket 49 to. be adjusted from one positionto another around the roller 20. At about the opposite .side. of .roller20, and also supported by a bracket extending from bed plate la, isguide block 52 whose lower end is located near the circumference'ofroller 20. The guide block 52 is grooved to receivea chain 53 betweenits two flanges 52a, Fig. 4. The purpose of this guide 52 is to delivera: pin or pins 54 on chain 53 to roller 20'. at a rather definite-spotalong the path of the chain and to deliver the pin or pins fully intothe paths of the roller-shoulders.

The two'end's'of thepin' 54 (or of each of the pins, if there are morethan one) project from the two sides of the'chain. The chain is endlessand passes over a sprocket 55 attached to the tape feed 22 (e. g.attached to the ratchet wheel 2|), thence over the'face of the guideblock 52, then partly around the roller 20 and over the sprocket 49, anddown around an idler sprocket 56, and from thence to the sprocket 55. Inpassing around the roller 20 the chain lies between its two flanges,Figs. 2 and 4, but the projecting end of the pin 54, as they pass theroller 20, lie on the edges of the two flanges of the roller, Figs. 4and 7. An idler sprocket 56 is rotatable in a yoke 51 which may be drawndown by a weight, or by a spring 58 connected to, say, the floor. Thepurpose of sprocket 56 is simply to keep the chain fairly tight andthereby smoothly running.

Normally, i. e. while fastener elements are being assembled into a groupon the tape, the chain 53 is moved in its above described course by therotation of sprocket 55 by the ratchet wheel 2| as this wheel is drivenintermittently by pawl 3|. Normally therefore the chain does notinterfere with the operations. Ultimately however the pin 54 on chain 53will reach the guide 52, the pin ends which extend beyond chain 53 willride on the guide flanges 52a, Fig. 6, and at the ends of these flangesthe pin will pass on to the flanges of the roller 20. A moment later theshoulders 43, Figs. 2 and 4, of the roller 20 will engage the pin ends54, Fig. '7, and carry the chain around 20 at about the speed of themachine shaft |4, Fig. 7; the starting of the chain at this higher speedwill be softened however by the momentary yielding of the roller spring41. The shoulder 43 will carry pin 54, and therewith the chain 53,around to the point where the chain 53 rides off 20 on to the sprocketidler 49. From that point on the progress of chain 53 continues at itsnormal intermittent rate until the pin 54 again comes to the roller 20.

It will be observed however that during the time that shoulders 43 carrypin 54 and chain 53, the speed of the chain is much higher than normal.During this time accordingly the chain advances the tape a step of muchgreater length than the steps produced by the pawl 3|, Fig. 2, and suchsuccessive actions divide the fastener elements on the tape into spacedgroups. The spacing is measured by the distance between the guide 52 andthe idler sprocket 49, Fig. 2, since, in effect, the sprocket 49 removesthe chain from the spacer roller 20 and the pin from the rollershoulders 43. Therefore by changing the location of the sprocket 49 inits slot 5|, the lengths of the spaces between groups can be changed. Itwill be observed of course also, that instead of a single pin 54 a chain53 may carry two or more such pins. Each will produce a group spacing asdescribed of course. In general, the length of the chain if it has onlyone pin 54, or the distance between successive pins 54 if the chaincarries two or more such pins, measures the length of each group offasteners. By changing these factors therefore, the lengths of thefastener groups can be changed from time to time as needed.

Speaking generally, the spring 41 at roller 20, permits the chain tostart its high speed movements rather slowly, and therefore with lessshock than were the spring omitted, and this permits the whole machineto operate at higher speeds than otherwise; i. e. apply more fastenerelements to the tape per minute than is possible otherwise. If desired,a fixed brake 60 on the tape shaft 22, e. g. such as hasbeen usedbefore,

can be used in the present instance to help prevent overthrow of thetape feeding mechanism.

I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, and it willbe understood that while this is the preferred form of my invention itis shown for purpose of illustration also, and that the invention is notlimited to the specific disclosure or to its details, but may beembodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. Ingeneral, the invention includes the modifications and embodiments comingwithin the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making slide fasteners having a tape-feeder and anover-running mechanism to drive said feeder normally, an endless beltnormally driven by said over-running mechanism andintermittently-operable power mechanism to drive said belt and therebydrive said feeder at a higher rate of speed than said overrunningmechanism.

2. In a machine for aflixing slide fastener elements to tape having arotatable drum to feed said tape and an over-running mechanism to rotatesaid drum, an endless belt normally driven by said over-runningmechanism, and intermittently-operable power mechanism to engage saidbelt and drive the belt to rotate said tape-feeding drum at a higherrate of speed than said over-running mechanism to divide the assembly offasteners on the tape into spaced groups.

3. In a machine for aflixing slide fastener elements to tape having atape-feeder and an overrunning mechanism to drive said feeder, a belt toalso drive said feeder and a roller to drive said belt to drive saidtape-feeder at a higher speed than said over-running mechanism, the beltbeing provided with at least one member to engage said roller to couplethe roller to the belt intermittently.

4. In a machine for affixing slide fasteners to tape having atape-feeder and an over-running mechanism to drive said feeder, a beltto also drive said tape-feeder, a roller to drive said belt to drivesaid feeder at a higher speed than said over-running mechanism, the beltbeing provided with at least one member to engage said roller to couplethe roller to the belt intermittently, and a guide over which said beltruns as it approaches said roller to deliver said member of the belt tosaid roller at substantially one definite place with respect to theroller.

5. The subject matter of claim 3, characterized by the fact that apulley over which the belt passes on leaving the roller is provided,said pulley being adjustable in position to change the place on theroller at which the belt leaves the roller.

6. In a machine for afiixing fastener elements to tape, a tape-feedingdrum, a ratchet attached to said drum, a pawl to actuate said ratchet torotate the tape-feeding drum intermittently, an endless chain associatedwith said ratchet for advancement by the ratchet, a driven roller, saidchain passing over said roller and said roller having a shoulder, therebeing at least one member on said chain to be engaged by said shoulderto couple the chain to the roller for advancement by the rollerintermittently, a guide for the chain to deliver said member into thepath of said shoulder at substantially one definite point in said path,and an idler pulley over which the chain passes on leaving said roller,said pulley being adjustable in position to take the it hs'iix; frognthe :foll'gr' at difierenb'points 1:0 'REFERENCES OITED vary h Y durmg hi'I'hefoIloWing referencesare*of'recordin the the roller -advancesthecham andthe roller file-of this patent; r'otafing said tape-feedingdrum, intermittently, through said-chain at a higherspeed than said 5"UNITED STATES PATENTS pawl. Number Name Date IQ-The subject'matter ofclaim '6, characterized 7013872 Giacomi June 10, 1902 by"the"fact"that"a spring is provided, through 2,141,200 Sundba'ck Dec.2'7; 1938 Which-said'roller is=driven. 25231386 "Firing Feb. 11, 1941 102253567 DiPrima Aug. '19, 1941 2.2753769 *Kiessling Mar. 10, 1942

